


Summer Shenanigans

by aceofsparrows



Series: Ad Astra Per Aspera [4]
Category: Hadestown - Mitchell
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Tumblr Prompt, bleuaceofsparrows fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:22:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22020994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aceofsparrows/pseuds/aceofsparrows
Summary: from a tumblr prompt: Astra and Lyra running off into the woods and terrorizing their parents who are worried sick? Bonus points if Persephone gets Hades’ ass up top for it.this was so fun to write, and I love this au so much :)
Relationships: Eurydice/Orpheus (Hadestown), Hades/Persephone (Hadestown)
Series: Ad Astra Per Aspera [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1585051
Kudos: 27





	Summer Shenanigans

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SongstressTinyTeacup](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SongstressTinyTeacup/gifts).



It’s the perfect morning. The birds are chirping, and the sunlight is golden in the newly-green trees. Astra and Lyra wake with the dawn, jumping out of bed to hurry into their clothes and out of the house.

Shushing each other in giggled whispers, the girls run pell-mell from the modest house and down the garden path, long hair flying behind them in the morning breeze.

At the edge of the forest they pause, Lyra holding out a hand to stop Astra and a finger to her lips.

“Whassit sayin’ Lyra?” Astra whispers, eyes wide and ears straining to catch any whispers on the wind.

“Shhhh,” Lyra hisses, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She can hear something, the words of the trees tickling at the edges of her brain…

_Come and play…. we’ve missed you, Lyra. Come and play with us…._

“They’re waiting for us,” Lyra says with a grin, eyes popping open. She grabs Astra’s hand and together they take off again, running happily into the forest’s leafy embrace.

##  *** * ***

Summer mornings are some of Eurydice’s favorite. Summer means warmth and lazy sunlight and not having to get up early. Summer means mornings in bed with her husband and fresh vegetables from their garden and late nights talking with Persephone, listening to her recount tales from long ago with their daughters in their laps.

Summer means seeing her beautiful daughter (who is growing to look more and more like her father every day) grow up in sunlight and warmth and everything Eurydice didn’t have as a child.

She emerges slowly from the depths of a pleasant, deep sleep this morning. Orpheus is still asleep beside her when she finally opens her eyes, one arm slung casually across her midriff, face slack with slumber. Eurydice smiles softly; Orpheus has always been a beautiful man, but today it strikes her more than usual how lucky she is to have him– with his beautiful face and beautiful music and kind spirit– in her life still after everything they’ve been through.

Orpheus stirs, and Eurydice kisses his forehead softly before gently extracting herself from his embrace and slipping out of bed. Judging by the battered clock that hangs just slightly crooked on their wall Astra and Lyra will be up soon, and she should start on breakfast before they come asking for it. Best not to keep the small children waiting; if there’s anything she’s learned from being a mother, it’s that children are always eager for something, and usually it’s food or an adventure.

There’s a clatter from the kitchen, and Eurydice frowns, tugging her shirt on quickly and cursing under her breath when her sleep-addled fingers fumble the button on her trousers. Who is in the kitchen at this hour? Hopefully not the girls, good gods….

All of Eurydice’s momentary panic is for naught, however, as it’s just an unusually chipper Persephone bustling around their tiny kitchen, opening all the cupboards in search of something or other.

“Good morning, Seph….” Eurydice greets the woman, an eyebrow raised. Persephone isn’t usually awake this early in the summer; she and her daughter both are late sleepers, made drowsy by the warm weather and fatigue that Spring and Summer bring.

“Good morning, Eurydice,” Persephone sing-songs without turning, opening yet another cabinet and peering at its contents before closing it again.

“Um, are you looking for anything in particular, Seph?” Eurydice asks, arms folded and now looking mildly concerned but also highly amused at whatever the goddess is doing in her kitchen.

“Yes, actually….” Persephone says, finally turning to face Eurydice. “Where do you keep your tea? I wanted to make some before everyone woke up so we could drink it with breakfast, but it looks as though you’ve rearranged again since last summer and I can’t seem to find anything….”

“It’s here, Seph, in the drawer next to the sink,” Eurydice says with a chuckle, opening said drawer and handing Persephone several teabags. She neglects to mention the fact that she definitely has _not_ rearranged since last summer.

“Ah, thank you darling,” Persephone takes the teabags from Eurydice, smiling, and drops them unceremoniously into the five waiting mugs on the counter, water still steaming. “Here you are, Eurydice,” she adds, handing Eurydice her mug.

“Thanks, Seph.”

“So, how’s it going?” Persephone asks, sitting at the table across from Eurydice, hands cupping her mug of steeping tea. Eurydice notices the goddess’ knuckles are turning pale with how hard she’s gripping her mug, but she says nothing.

“Well, winter was better this year than it’s been in the past, so that’s good. And Astra lost another one of her milk teeth, which makes five now, which I think is right for a child her age.”

Persephone nods, taking a sip from her tea despite the fact that it’s probably still much too hot to drink from and hasn’t steeped nearly as long as it’s supposed to yet. What is up with her?

“She’s six now, yes? Lyra turned five in October.”

Eurydice nods. “Six, yeah, as of December. Wow, how time flies when you have a kid, right? It seems like she could barely walk just yesterday, and now she can brush her own teeth and make toast for herself and–”

“Uh, Eurydice?” It’s Orpheus, calling from down the hall. Eurydice frowns, leaning back in her chair to see down the hallway.

“Yes, Poet?”

“Is Astra out there with you, love?” Orpheus asks, and Eurydice’s frown deepens.

“Um, no…. I thought she was still asleep… is she not in her room?”

Orpheus sticks his head out of Astra’s bedroom, face just slightly starting to panic. “No. And, um, Lady Persephone? Lyra isn’t here either. So unless she’s with you, or…”

Persephone’s eyes widen, and she sucks in a sharp breath. “What? No, no, she’s… she’s… where could they be?”

Eurydice and Orpheus (who has come to stand in the doorway between the kitchen and the hallway) look at each other for a moment, and come to the same conclusion at exactly the same moment, twins expressions of horror crossing their faces in unison.

“The forest.” They breathe, and Persephone thumps her forehead on the table in almost comical exasperation.

##  *** * ***

“Do it again, Lyra,” Astra begs, wriggling with excitement as she kneels on the soft moss-covered ground. “I wanna see if I can get it this time!”

Lyra grins, taking a deep breath. “Alright, one more time.” Eyes squeezed shut in immense concentration, Lyra digs a hand into the dark, wet soil between them and pulls. Enraptured, Astra watches as the small girl’s finger come back up tangled in thick, deep green vines that snake around her wrist and writhe like vipers of plant matter in her fingers.

Astra squeals with delight, clapping her hands together. “Yay! Good job, Lyra!” Then she takes a deep breath as well, waiting for Lyra to open her eyes and smile at her before she plunges a hand into the soil.

There is a moment of tense silence before Astra pulls her fist from the dark earth, and both girls sigh in disappointment when all that’s in her hand is dirt.

“It’s okay,” Lyra says reassuringly, letting the dark vines slither back into the ground from which they came. “I’m sure you’ll get something eventually. Beside, your daddy said that he can conjure flowers sometimes when he sings, so maybe if you sing next time it’ll work better!”

Astra nods sadly, wiggling her now-dirty fingers absently. “Yeah, maybe…”

“Hey,” Lyra declares, jumping to her feet. “I’m hungry. Let’s go back to your house and see if your mama made breakfast yet!”

Astra brightens at the mention of breakfast, wiping her hands on the front of her dungarees as she stands as well. “Oooo yeah!” Giggling, the girls set off for the house, ironically oblivious that they’re doing the exact opposite of what they should be.

##  *** * ***

“Astra! Lyra! Where are you, darlings?!” Persephone calls for the umpteenth time as she and Orpheus and Eurydice pick their way through the blooming underbrush of the forest. The sun is close to its zenith, and it seems like they’ve been looking forever. The goddess twists the hem of her skirt in her hands, worrying at a loose thread. Oh, Hades is going to be so mad at her when he finds out….

“Lyra, Astra! Girls, please!” Orpheus calls, hands cupped around his mouth for amplification, brow furrowed. They listen for a moment, but there’s no reply. The poet sighs, letting his arms fall to his sides.

“This is ridiculous,” Eurydice huffs, kicking at a stump absently. “They can’t have gone that far– they didn’t even eat breakfast!”

Persephone frowns, closing her eyes momentarily and taking a deep breath. “Well, if they _were_ in the forest, they’re not anymore. I can’t feel them anywhere within the trees, and any farther than that is outside my range, unfortunately.” There’s a tightness in her voice, and Eurydice sits heavily on the stump she had kicked a moment before, tilting her head at the goddess in front of her.

“Are you okay, Seph? You seem… off.” She asks, and Persephone glances at Eurydice over her shoulder.

“What? Oh, I’m fine… better than fine, actually….. just great, really…” She trails off, fiddling again with her hem and glancing around the forest in front of her.

Orpheus, who has been looking up at the trees in hopes that perhaps his daughter and Lyra were simply playing some awful trick on them, frowns as well, looking at his aunt with concern. “Are you sure, Persephone? They’re probably fine… it’s probably nothing, just a big misunderstanding….”

Persephone turns to face the couple, face soft. “I’m fine, really, songbirds. It’s just, well….” She drops the hem of her skirt, hands fluttering in a very un-Persephone-like manner. “I’m pregnant…. again.”

“Oh.” Orpheus and Eurydice say in unison, eyes wide.

“That’s great, Seph, really!” Eurydice ventures, reaching out to take one of Persephone’s fluttering hands. “You’re happy, right? I mean, you and Hades love Lyra so much…”

“Yes,” Persephone sighs. “Yes, I am. I _am_ happy. I just… well… I haven’t told Hades yet, and he wasn’t so enthused the _last_ time I told him I was pregnant, and I’m worried about how Lyra will react… and, well…”

Eurydice smiles and squeezes Persephone’s hand reassuringly. “I’m sure they’ll both be thrilled. I know Lyra will love being a big sister just as much as I know Astra will.”

Persephone smiles at Eurydice, but Orpheus, whose mind has wandered once more to where his daughter could possibly be, stops, frowning.

“Wait, what did you just say?” He asks turning.

“I said I’m sure Hades and Lyra will be thrilled and that Lyra will love being a big sister just as much as Astra will.” Eurydice repeats, looking at her husband innocently.

Orpheus shakes his head. “Okay, wait a minute. _What_ about Astra being a big sister? Eurydice……”

Eurydice grins, shrugging her shoulders coyly. “… Surprise, Poet! It looks like Seph isn’t the only one who’s pregnant again!”

Orpheus’ eyes widened, and a wide smile spread across his face. “That’s… that’s amazing Eurydice… wow! That’s…. that’s…. wow…” He closed the space between them to swoop his wife up into his arms, swinging her around and kissing her cheek. “I’m so happy,” he whispered, and she giggled.

“Me too, Poet.”

Persephone cleared her throat. “This is… wonderful… but shouldn’t we also be trying to figure out where the hell our daughters are?”

Orpheus set Eurydice down, and she straightened her dress. “Yes, yes. We should.”

They fell silent for a moment, looking around and realizing that they still had absolutely no idea where to look next.

“Why don’t we go home?” Orpheus says, and Persephone and Eurydice look at him quizzically. “I mean, they didn’t have breakfast and we haven’t found them here, so maybe they’re at home somehow? It’s all I’ve got.”

Eurydice nods, taking her husband’s hand. “Okay, let’s go home.”

##  *** * ***

It’s well past noon when they return to the house, and an unseasonably cold wind is ruffling the field of young wheat nearby. Persephone frowns; there’s something familiar about the wind, though she can’t quite put her finger on what.

Eurydice and Orpheus open the door, and Persephone follows. The kitchen is empty, and there are no voices from the other rooms. 

“Maybe they’re taking a nap?” Orpheus ventures, and starts down the hall towards the bedrooms. The door to the girls’ room is closed, and he opens it slowly and quietly. 

Inside the room, sure enough, Lyra and Astra are tucked into Astra’s bed, sleeping soundly. Orpheus sighs, but then notices the man snoring in the rocking chair in the corner. 

“Mister Hades?” 

The man wakes with a snort at his name, sitting up and straightening his suit jacket. “Oh, hello Orpheus.” 

Orpheus blinks. What is Mister Hades doing up here during the summer? 

“Mister Hades… what a, um, pleasure.” He turns to leave, and then turns back. “Why… why are you here?” 

Hades stands, smiling a small, rare smile. “My wife left something by accident when she left for the summer, and I thought I’d pay you all a visit and bring it to her.” 

“Ah.” 

“Well, is she here?” 

Orpheus nods. “Yeah, she and Eurydice are in the kitchen.” 

“Well, shall we?” 

Hades passes Orpheus to cross the threshold, striding down the hall towards the kitchen. Orpheus lingers for a moment in his daughter’s room to give her a kiss on the forehead, and then he joins his wife and the others in the kitchen. 

“… so you’re telling me the girls ran off without you knowing, and then when you went to look for them they ended up back here?” Hades is saying when Orpheus arrives in the kitchen, and Eurydice nods. 

“Yup.” 

“Well, I suppose that would explain why they were here alone eating toast when I arrived.” Hades muses, brow furrowed. 

Eurydice beams in spite of herself, still quite proud that Astra has learned to make toast for herself and apparently others. 

“Hades, why are you here in the first place?” Persephone asks, arms folded. “A cold breeze was blowing; you know it’s not good for the cycle if you come up here during the summer.” 

Hades reached into his suit jacket, lifting something wrapped in a handkerchief from his inside pocket. “You forgot this, darling.” 

“Oh.” Persephone takes the bundle, and when she unwraps it in her hand it’s revealed to be a ruby broach, one Orpheus has seen before attached to the goddess’ shawl. “Thank you, Hades,” Persephone says softly, smiling and crosses the small kitchen to stand on her tiptoes and give her husband a kiss on the cheek. 

“And I have something for you,” she whispers in his ear. 

“Hm?” 

“I’m pregnant.” 

Hades’ face breaks into a rare grin, and he kisses his wife’s head, embracing her. “That’s wonderful, Seph.” 

She beams up at him, and for a moment, she is glad he came above, cold wind or no. 

“Yes, yes it is.” 


End file.
